Internal combustion engine



Jan. 5, 1932.

W. WADDEL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 25,

1930 2 SheetsSheet '1 mvEN ToR ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1932. w. WADDELL1,839,623

INTERNAL COMBUS TION ENGINE Filed Feb. 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ATTORNEY atented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STAT S PATENT orrlcs mmWADDELII, CI DETROIT, IICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB, BY HESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

CQNTINENIAL AIRCRAFT ENGINE COMPANY, .A. CORPORATION OF DELAWAREINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE .lppliolflen' filed lebruary 25, 1930. SerialNo. 481,268.

My invention relates to an internal com- 'bustlon en no and moregarticularly relates tn means or retaining t e accessory drive ears of aradial engine in place, my device ing especially constructed for usewith aircraft en ines of the radial type, though obviously t e principleof my invention may be embodied in engines other than those adapted foruse with aircraft.

In the manufacture of aircraft en ines of the radial type, andespecially with t at type of engine embodied in the copending appication of Archie M. Niven for internal combustion engine, Serial No.405,476 filed November 7, 1929, owned by assignee company rings that arewherein the accessory drive gears are carried by a wall extendingtransversely to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft, it has beenfound desirable to omit" the spring locking rung into annular grooves scarried by the libbs of the accessor drive gears, in order to facilitatethe assem ly and to reduce manufacturing costs. However, when repairingthe engine, it must sometimes be turned on end and, consequently thesaid accessory drive ears are free to move endwise or longitu 'nally ofthe engine unless some means are provided for retaining the said gearsinlace.

It is the ob ect of my invention to facilitate the manufacturing andmaintenance of I an internal combustion en 'ne of the radial may bereadily ha type by providing means .or retaining said accessory drivears in place and to restrain the same from alling out, when the engineis turned on end. 1 i

A further object of my invention isto decrease the manufacturing costsof a radial internal combustion engine by providin a simplifiedaccessory driving ar assem 1y that may be readily and easily assembled awith the engine as well as economically manufacturedw A still furtherobject of my invention is to facilitate the assembly or disassembly ofthe accessory driving gears of a radial engine by providing retaininmeans to which access a for simultaneously enga 'ng said gears torestrain the same from en wise or longitudinal movement with respect tothe engine and to provide means that may be economically manufacturedfor lock- 111%16 retaining means in place.

or a more detailed understanding of my invention reference may be had tothe accompanying drawings which illustrate one form of my invention, andin which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the rear portion ofa radial internal combustion engine constructed in with my mvention,

F 1g. 2 1s a rear elevational view of the acaccordance cessory drivingmechanism taken substantial- 10 provided with a transverse wall 11 forclosing the open rear end thereof, and a crankshaft 12 supported by andextended through said wall. The rear end of the crankshaft is externallysplined and a crankshaft starter gear 13 is splined tq the crankshaft tothe rear of said well 11. A pluralityof accessory driving gears aresupported by and to the rear of said wall, said crankshaft starter gearspreferab lying in a common lane extending transversely of the crankshaand parallel to the lane of the wall. 7 Preferably the accessory rivinggears include a starter gear 14, the magneto driving gears 15 and thepump gears 16, the starter and magneto gears being arranged to mesh withthe crankshaft starter gear.

The starter and magneto gears are provided with hubs 17 that arerotatably suprted in bushings 18 carried by the wall 11.

o lockin means are carried by the hub or bushin or preventing endwisedisplacement 0 the gears when the engine is turned on end. Insteadthereof, I have provided a retaining disc 20 that is constructed andargear and accessory driving aircraft, which engine inc udes a crankcaseranged to restrain the said gears from and wise displacement. The dischas a diameter greater than the diameter of the crankshaft starter gearand is secured to the rear end of the crankshaft to the rear of the wall11 and the crankshaft starter gear 1. It Will be seen by referring toFig. 2 how the outer rim of the disc slightly overlies a portion of theadjoining magneto driving gears 15 and the starter gear 14. These gears14 and 15 are permitted to rotate freey because of the slight clearancebetween the rim of the disc and the gears. The rear portion ofthecrankshaft i2 is hollow and the end portion is bored out andinternally threaded as at 21 to adjusts-lolly receive an externallythreaded nut 22 which secures the disc 20 to the crankshaft. A thrustWasher 23, is located immediately ad jacent the end of the crankshaftand is provided with a notch 24, A thin sheet metal lock washer 25interposed between the head 26 of the nut 22 and thrust Washer 23 isprovided with a tongue 27 that is bent forwardly and inserted throughthe notch 24: in the thrust washer andinto one of the splines carried bythe crankshaft starter or more additional tongues 28 are carried by thelock washer which may be bent back and engaged with one or more of thefiat side faces of the head of the nut to lock the nut and prevent thesame from Working loose.

It may be noted that I have rovided a very simple means for readily loc'ingthe acoessory driving gears to the wall 11 of the crankcasestructure, such lockin means bemg so constructed and arrange that accessmay be very readily had thereto to facilitate the initial assembly ofthe engine as well as to permit the engine to be set on end while beingrepaired or assembled without the danger of the accessory drive out Thisstructure ma be rea ily and economically manufacture and assembled to aradial internal combustion engine, with a minimum of labor.

Although I have illustrated but one form ears falling of my inventionand have described in detail but a single application thereof, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertainsthat various modifications and changes may be made therein with outdeparting from the spirit oi :ny invention or from the scope. of theappended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and a crankshaftsupported thereby, a plurality of gears, means carried y said crankcasefor supporting said gears in a plane substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the crankshaft, and means carried by saidcrankshaft and adapt ed for engagement with said gears to preventendvvise displacement thereof.

nsaaees 2. in an internal combustion engine has ing a crankcase and acrankshaft supported thereby, a plurality of gears, means carried bysaid crankcase for supporting said in a plane substantially perpendcular to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft, and means adapted forengagement with the faces of said gears to prevent endwise placementthereof 3. In an internal combustion engine hay ing a crankcase and acrankshaft supported thereby, a plurality oi gears, means carried bysaid crankcase for supporting said gears in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axisv of the crankshaft, and meansoverlappin the faces of said gears prevent endwise isplaceinent thereof.

4. In an internal combustion engine hay-- ing a crankcase and acrankshaft supported thereby, a plurality of gears, means carrie by saidcrankcase for supporting said gears in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft, and meanssecured to the crankshaft and ar ranged to overlie a portion of theiiaces said gears to prevent endwise displacement thereof.

5. In an internal combustion engine hav" ing a crankcase and acrankshaft supported thereby, a plurality of gears, means carried bysaid crankcase for supportin said gears in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the l0ng1tudinal axis of the crankshaft, and aretaining disc secured to the crankshaft arranged to overlie a portionof the faces oif said gears to prevent enclwise displacement thereof.

6. In an internal combustion engine ing a crankcase and a crankshaftprovided with a crankshaft starter gear, a plurality of accessory drivinears operatively connected with the cran shaft starter gear and peeltioned in substantially the same plane as said crankshaft starter ear,and a retaining secured to the cranishaft to the rear oi the end thereofand havin a diameter than the diameter of t e crankshaft starter gear,said retaining disc arranged to overlie a portion of the faces oi saidaccessory driv ing gears to prevent endvvise displacement thereof.

7 In an internal combustion engine ing a crankcase and a crankshaft, ashaft starter gear splined to said crankshaft, a plurality of accessorydriving gears open all shaft, and locking means for locking saidfastening means to said crankshaft.

8. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and a crankshaft,a crankshaft starter ar splined to said crankshaft, a plurality oaccessory driving gears operatively connected with the crankshaftstarter gear and positioned in substantially the same plane as saidcrankshaft starter gear, a retaining disc secured to the rear end of thecrankshaft and having a diameter greater than the diameter of thecrankshaft starter gear to thereby overlie a portion of the rear aces ofsaid accessory driving gears to prevent endwise displacement thereof, anut adjustably secured to said crankshaft for securing said retainingdisc thereto, and a lock washer therefor provided with an inwardly benttongue arranged to engage in one of the splines carried by saidcrankshaft starter gear to lock the nut to said crankshaft In testimonywhereof I afiix my si ature.

WILLIAM WADD LL.

